The Echo

The Echo is not a physical creature, such as the Skyclaw Griffons, but rather an entity born of reverberation and sorrow, most commonly found within Illusory Bastion. It is a composite being, forged from the lingering emotions and fragmented memories of the city’s past inhabitants, amplified by the deceptive architecture and the warping influence of the Veil of Descent. It may have even been birthed by the powers of The Weaver.

Imagine a humanoid form, vaguely resembling a dwarf, constantly flickering and distorting, as if composed of heat haze, described in Chapter of Madness. Its features are never quite distinct, its expression a fleeting amalgamation of joy, despair, and regret. It speaks not with its own voice, but with a chorus of whispers, echoing the voices of those long dead, their words overlapping and garbled, creating a unsettling cacophony which may threaten The Cacophony. This is why the Silent Monks of Durin's Peak are threatened by it. It moves with an unnatural fluidity, gliding through walls and objects as if they were mere illusions, a skill it learned from the Gloom Weavers.

The Echo feeds on negative emotions, drawing strength from the suffering and despair that permeate the Illusory Bastion. The stronger the emotion, the more potent the Echo becomes, allowing it to manifest more vividly and exert greater control over the city's illusions, corrupting them further and leading to a deeper Great Unmaking. There is a tale of it corrupting the Truthseekers, which may need to be recorded in a new Chapter of Lies.

Those who encounter the Echo often experience intense feelings of guilt, remorse, and a profound sense of loss. It preys on their deepest insecurities, forcing them to confront their past failures and question their own identity. Some have been driven to madness by its influence, their minds shattered by the weight of their own regrets. It seems to be drawn to those touched by the Forgotten Smith. However, the Echo is not invulnerable. It can be weakened by acts of forgiveness, compassion, and selflessness, emotions that disrupt its hold on the city and restore balance to its fractured reality, perhaps through the use of the Sunstone of Aethelgard. The Cobalt Corsairs would likely find that the creature can be damaged with sonic weaponry, and perhaps they can even capture the entity. It may even be possible to destroy the manifestation using the Runes of Null. Is there a connection to the Warped Gates? Perhaps its history can be further revealed by travelling the Skystrider Paths. The Echo seems to seek to consume Valia, the Empty. Perhaps it can be reasoned with at The Lost Shrine of Reflections.